The present disclosure relates generally to the field of amusement parks. More specifically, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods and equipment utilized to manage amusement park experiences, including queuing for attractions.
Since the early twentieth century, amusement parks have substantially grown in popularity. In order to address this increasing demand, amusement parks have been expanding by adding attractions and space. The addition of attractions (e.g., rides, restaurants, shops, and shows) generally provides an amusement park with additional capacity to handle a larger number of guests. However, the additional attractions also typically provide potential guests with an incentive to visit the amusement park. Thus, while a particular amusement park may add additional capacity, the additional capacity does not always result in an increased ability for guests to participate in park entertainment (e.g., shopping, viewing shows, riding rides) or reduced wait times for attractions. This is because there is often a corresponding increase in attendance. Further, due to operating efficiencies, it is often desirable to limit the availability of attractions during low attendance times. Thus, queuing for attractions, which may limit participation in park activities, is a perennial issue for amusement parks.
While guests have demanded bigger, better, and more elaborate attractions, they also require and expect a positive overall experience. Providing a positive overall experience for amusement park guests entails addressing certain issues related to queuing for attractions. Indeed, it is now recognized that park guests can be deterred from returning to a particular amusement park due to negative experiences with queue waiting times. Further, guests may be prevented from accessing amusement park businesses (e.g., shops) due to time spent waiting in queues. Indeed, in the past, guests have been forced to wait hours in line to experience some of the more popular attractions at an amusement park. Additionally, it is now recognized that park capacity does not always equal guest utilization of that capacity due to individual guest preferences for certain attractions over others. Accordingly, it is now recognized that it is desirable to improve amusement park queuing systems and methods.